Daily Log

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Friday 24 July, 2015

AM

Work began with clipping roots in the extension in preparation for the closing of Locus 3 and the opening of Locus 4 . Locus 3 will be closed because the soil is noticeably darker brown with white inclusions and tree roots, indicating that we have reached a humous layer and have fully removed the dirt dump. Opening elevations for Locus 4 were taken. Opening photographs were also taken. Locus 4 is declared open across the extension.

Locus 3 closing elevations/ Locus 4 opening elevations:

\xb7 NW corner: 27.37mAE

\xb7 NE corner: 27.30mAE

\xb7 SE corner: 27.32mAE

\xb7 SW corner: 27.39mAE

A pick pass was made in the eastern half of the extension. Soil is shoveled into buckets and hand-sorted over a wheelbarrow. Soil is darkish brown and sandy with many stoney inclusions ranging from pebble to palm sized. Some tile and pottery has been recovered.

While sorting the soil from the first pick pass an iron

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fragment (Special Find #1) was found. Because it was found in the wheelbarrow, an approximate elevation was taken.

Two more pick passes were made. In the third pick pass, in the eastern meters of the extension, a possible crucible fragment (Find #2) was recovered. Coordinates and elevations were taken. Soil is darkish brown and sandy with many stoney inclusions ranging from pebbly to palm-sized. Several tile fragments and few pottery sherds have been recovered.

Special Finds:

1.

\xb7 Locus 4

\xb7 Wheelbarrow find

\xb7 27.21mAE

\xb7 Amorphous iron fragment

Drawing

Two more pick passes were made, making a third full pass through Locus 4 . In the eastern meters, a possible coarseware footed vessel (Find #3) was recovered. After the soil was shoveled and sorted over the wheelbarrow, elevations and coordinates were taken.

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In the easternmost meters of the extension, we are beginning to feel large rocks. Additionally, the soil appears to be darker than in previous picks. Because of these changes, we will proceed with caution in the eastern meters of Locus 4 in case there are rock features that must be preserved underneath.

Another pick pass is made through the entire extension. Dirt is still shoveled into buckets and sorted over the wheelbarrow. There are fewer tile and pottery fragments so far in Locus 4 than in the previous Locus 3 as well as we are out of the dirt dump.

Special Finds

2.

\xb7 Locus 4

\xb7 27.22mAE

\xb7 108.35E/40.43S

\xb7 Possible crucible fragment

Drawing

Another pick pass was made in the western meters of the trench. Soil is shoveled into buckets and sorted

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over the wheelbarrow. Soil is darkish brown with many stoney inclusions of various sizes and some root rot. Many tile and pottery fragments have been recovered.

Special Finds

3.

\xb7 Locus 4

\xb7 27.14mAE

\xb7 108.86E/39.22S

\xb7 Coarseware footed vessel

Drawing

PM

Work continued with another pick pass starting in the east moving west. We are feeling rocks in the east and are close to the elevation of the rocks in T-81 to our SE, so we will be picking lightly to preserve any possible features. The western half of the trench is higher than the east so we will use full strength pick passes to bring it down in elevation. Soil is still being shoveled into buckets

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and sorted over the wheelbarrow. Soil is still darkish brown, including many small stones and tile and pottery are still being recovered. During the pick pass, many rocks were felt in the western half of the trench.

Another pick pass was made throughout the entire extension with only half force. We are only using half force because we are feeling many rocks below and we want to keep any possible features intact. Soil was picked up with shovels, put into buckets, then sorted over the wheelbarrow. Tile and pottery were recovered and soil has remained the same color.

Another light pick pass was done throughout the entire trench going from east to west. Soil is being picked up with shovels and sorted over the wheelbarrow.

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It was decided that large tile would be special found and brought down from site to be used as examples from the building (Find #4). All the soil was then picked up and sorted and work came to a close for the week.

Special Finds

4.

\xb7 Locus 4

\xb7 27.14mAE

\xb7 106E/42.09S

\xb7 Flange

Drawing

Locus 4

\xb7 Tile: 2 bowls

\xb7 Pottery: 43 sherds

\xb7 Bone: 2 fragments

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